Cessna 172P accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 4, 2004
On June 4, 2004 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N50923, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The CFI failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2004 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N50923 · no longer on the register · serial 17275234
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane came to rest inverted following a loss of control during a go-around. The purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings. The certifed flight instructor (CFI) stated the accident occurred on the fourth landing of the flight. The CFI stated the student flew the traffic pattern and was lined up with the runway centerline using a slight crab angle to the right. He stated the airplane began drifting to right during the landing flare. He recalled hearing the student say "runway lights." The CFI stated he called for a go-around and the throttle was advanced to full power. The CFI stated he felt the airplane "mushing" so he pushed the nose forward to maintain airspeed. He stated he anticipated that the nose would lift because they had 30 degrees of flaps extended. He stated the airplane then yawed sharply to the left, hit the ground, and flipped inverted. The CFI stated that during the go-around the airplane required an "inordinate" amount of right rudder to keep the nose straight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,449 hours in all; 858 in this make and model; 269 in the last 90 days; 186 in the last 30 days; 1,327 as pilot in command; 1,075 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWC Milwaukee WI at 7:30 pm
- Destination: MWC Milwaukee WI
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.